Research

Research Groups

The Department is research focused, producing high-quality work
at an international level. The major research groups are large and
in all cases cover topics from pure theory through to practical
applications: the advantages of these broad-based groups, in
particular the way in which theory is always informed by practice
and practice by theory, are impossible to overestimate. Groups are
typically based around funded projects but boundaries are flexible
and there is a lively interaction between all areas.

Embedded and Intelligent Systems Research Group

Research in the Embedded and Intelligent
Systems (EIS) group focuses on technologies for Embedded Systems
and System-on-Chips (SoC). We're also working in the area of
computer architectures and AI and have a significant research
activity in distributed sensor network architectures.
More
information.

Extended Particle Swarms (XPS)

There is a pressing need in science and
industry for novel computational methods that can solve
difficult problems efficiently and reliably. Such computational
methods often come from the study of natural systems. For
example, observations of flocks of birds and shoals of fish have
inspired algorithms called particle swarms, which operate as
follows: A number of simple entities - the particles - are
placed in the space of possible solutions to some problem, and
each evaluates the quality of the solution at its current
location. Each particle then determines its movement through the
solution space by combining some aspect of its own history with
those of other members of the swarm. In this way the swarm as a
whole, like a flock of birds collectively foraging for food,
explores the solution space and eventually finds the best
solution to the problem. The aim of this multidisciplinary
research project is to systematically explore the extension of
particle swarms by including strategies from a wide range of
collective behaviours in biology, by extending the physics of
the particles, by generating an extensive set of engineering
problems and a flexible simulation engine, and by providing a
solid theoretical and mathematical basis for the understanding
and problem-specific design of new particle swarm algorithms.
More information

Constraint Satisfaction and Optimisation + Computational Finance

Many applications such as industrial scheduling
and supply chain management involve constraints which must be
satisfied. However, some solutions are better than others. This
group investigates efficient ways to find satisfactory and/or
optimal solutions. In our group, constraint satisfaction is
applied to computational finance and bargaining research.
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Dependable Systems

This involves the study of fundamental issues in
computer science. The aim is to improve productivity in software
engineering and make software more reliable. Areas covered
include real-time and safety critical systems, specification
languages, logics theories of refinement and program
development, applications of theorem proving, software
development methodologies and software design theory.
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Essex Robotics

This is now the largest group of its kind in the
UK. Research in this group covers a wide range of topics,
including co-operative robotics, football-playing robots,
Multisensor-based navigation and map-building, adaptive robots,
intelligent agricultural vehicles, computer vision, networked
robots and control systems for autonomous vehicles, analysis of
robot behaviour, biologically inspired robotics and precise
robot simulation.
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Brain-Computer Interfaces

Drawing on the previous experience of several
faculty members, we recently started a group in human computer
interfaces with an emphasis on brain-computer interfaces (BCIs)
and myoelectric control. BCIs can be used for capturing brain
signals and translating them into commands that allow humans to
control – just by thinking - devices such as computers, robots,
rehabilitation technology, and virtual reality environments. The
same devices can be controlled by myoelectric signals as well,
i.e., signals that indicate the level of electrical activity in
muscles. Our aim is to expand the current limits of these two
technologies while still using non invasive means.
More information

Intelligent Inhabited Environments

This research area explores the science and
application opportunities arising from the increasing
proliferation of small, networked computers and artificial
intelligence in our everyday lives - our homes, work-places,
clothing and accessories. More information

Machine Learning and Intelligent Agents

Research in this group involves finding useful
information from large data sets or noisy images. Applications
include speech recognition, face recognition, decision support,
analysis of human or animal walking and financial applications.
More information

Natural and Evolutionary Computation (NEC)

A number of computational methods are inspired
by nature. Research in this group includes neural networks
(inspired by the way that our brain solves problems) and
evolutionary methods (inspired by Darwin's theory, where
solutions are evolved rather than designed). More information

Natural Language Engineering and Web Applications

Research in Natural Language Engineering (NLE)
aims at enabling computer systems to process natural language.
This ability can be applied to tasks such as information
retrieval and web search, information extraction and data
mining, text summarization, and speech technology. More
information